Archery game

ABSTRACT

A game having a supporting frame over which is draped a cover and a netting with the cover and netting catching and retaining arrows shot into the target or cover. The target may be designed to replicate a dart board.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to a game that utilizes a target similar to a dart board but instead of throwing darts at it the player shoots arrows at it.

2. Background Art

Several U.S. Pat. Nos. show archery targets, namely, U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,602,441; 3,367,660; 4,546,984 and 3,902,721 while others namely, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,328,033 and 5,062,640 show golf targets. The advertising of other parties show dart boards, for example the advertising of http://www.dart-stopbackboards.com on the internet. But none of the patents or publications show or suggest shooting arrows at dart boards and dart board structures that would be capable of handling the impact and destructiveness of arrows shot by archery bows.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In general, my invention enables archery players to engage in target practice as well as archery games similar to darts, indoors or outdoors such as in a game room, back yard, a bedroom or any other place favored by the player without damage to the surrounding environment or persons or pets if an arrow misses the target. Unlike a conventional dart game, my target is not hung on a wall but rather has a readily portable backdrop which may be erected in any suitable location independent of walls or other objects upon which a dart board is conventionally hung. For this objective I provide a portable, readily assembled or disassembled backdrop comprising a frame which may be rested on any horizontal surface, such as the floor of a house or on the driveway or grass-covered space.

Upon the frame is draped a cover that has a glove-like fit thereon at the top, with front and back sides hanging loosely there below. This loosely hanging front side of the cover faces the archer and upon this surface is hung the target. When either the front side of the cover or the target is struck by an arrow, the target and the front side of the cover will move away from the archer in the direction of the arrow movement thereby dampening or absorbing shock of the arrow and generally preventing the arrow from penetrating deeply into the target or cover structure.

In the event an arrow is shot with unusual force at the target, a nylon or other suitable netting overlies the backside of the cover to catch the arrow and prevent it from exiting the backdrop.

The sequence of the players and the scoring thereof may be whatever the players desire which may be, but does not have to be, based on rules and scoring similar to a game of darts.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an exploded view of my archery target;

FIG. 2 is an exploded view showing the connection between the netting and the bag-like cover;

FIG. 3 shows the bag-like cover assembled over the frame;

FIG. 4 shows a preferred typical connection between the frame portions;

FIG. 5 is a front view of my game structure with the target mounted thereon;

FIG. 6 is a detailed view of the target;

FIG. 7 is a rear view of the backdrop with the secondary drape or netting partially removed to expose the back wall of the cover;

FIG. 8 is a side view of the backdrop; and

FIG. 9 is a schematic view showing an arrow penetrating the target, the cover and stopped by the netting.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

As shown in FIGS. 1-4 and 7 and 8, my archery game comprises a backdrop 10 having a frame 12 composed of nine tubular sections 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26 and 28 joined together as in FIG. 4 where the end of one tubular section has been expanded as at 34 to permit the insertion of an end 36 of an adjacent section.

While I have shown the frame with nine tubular sections, more or less sections may be involved. However, my intention is that sufficient sections be provided so that upon disassembly of the frame the tubular frame sections may be placed in a duffle bag or carrying case that may be a convenient size, namely from three to four feet more or less in length. The tubular sections 14-28 may be made of metal or plastic, as desired.

Extending upwardly and at a reclining angle is the upper frame portion 38 composed of the four laterally spaced apart tubular sections 14, 16, 18 and 20. The lower end portion of the frame is composed of sections 22, 24, 26, 28 and 30, of which sections 22 and 30 are bent backwardly as best shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 so that the upper frame sections 14, 16, 18 and 20 repose at a backward angle.

Received over the frame is a flexible bag-like cover 40 which may be made of canvas having a camouflage or other design pattern on it if desired. The bag-like cover has a lower open end formed by front and back walls 42 and 44. The front wall 42 faces the game player. The walls 42 and 44 are stitched or otherwise secured together at the upper end of the cover as at 46 to form a glove-like fit over the upper end of the frame. Except for the joining of the front and back walls 42 and 44 of the bag-like cover at the upper end of the backdrop 10, the front and back walls are purposely permitted to hang loosely between the upper and lower portions of the frame. This enables the backdrop 10 to absorb the force of arrows striking the front wall 42 of the cover or the target 48. While the arrows may penetrate the front wall 40 or the target 48, most of them will be restrained by the looseness of the drape-like cover. The front and back walls of the cover are wider than the frame as shown in FIG. 3 so that the cover overlies the upper frame portion 38.

Velcro®-like ties 47 and 49 may be provided to keep the drape-like cover in place on the frame but are loose enough so that the cover may flex as it is struck by arrows.

To prevent stray arrows or an unusually fast moving arrow from penetrating through the cover and both the front and back walls of the bag, I provide a secondary drape 50 which may be in the form of a sheet of nylon netting having a porosity that will grip an arrow striking it to prevent the arrow from passing outwardly beyond the back wall 44 of the bag-like cover. I have found that a nylon netting of ⅛″ porosity is suitable for this purpose. The netting, as in the case of the bag-like cover, is draped loosely so that it will move with a fast-moving arrow that penetrates the back cover of the bag. For this purpose, the netting or secondary drape 50 may be stitched or otherwise secured to the upper edge of the bag as at 52 in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3. I have found that the lower end 56 of the netting may be advantageously inserted beneath the lower tubular sections 24, 26 and 28 of the frame to retain the netting loosely behind the bag-like cover as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3.

The target 48 may be in the form of a generally square block of Styrofoam or the like, 21 inches wide about 24 inches tall, and 2¼ inches thick and having a density of from 4 to 6 pounds per square foot. The face of the block is decorated with the design of a dart board 54. As before mentioned, the dart board may be used to play any of the dart games but instead of using darts, the players use their bows and arrows and shoot the arrows at the dart board as though they were playing darts. In the event an arrow passes through the Styrofoam block, it will encounter the back wall 44 of the cover which will arrest most arrows. Those arrows which pass through the block, the back wall of the cover and attempt to exit, encounter the netting 50 which will arrest the arrow. Thus, the game may be played in an environment not threatened by arrows exiting the backdrop 10.

The target block 48 may be secured to the front wall 42 of the cover by one or more Velcro®-like straps 58 passing through slots in the block and in the front wall of the cover.

While embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described, it is not intended that these embodiments illustrate and describe all possible forms of the invention. Rather, the words used in the specification are words of description rather than limitation, and it is understood that various changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. 

1. An archery game comprising, in combination: a readily moveable backdrop for resting on a supporting surface located in a target area for the game; said backdrop having a frame with an upper end portion and a lower end portion which may be readily assembled and disassembled for permitting simple movement of the frame to different locations; a flexible bag-like cover having a front wall and a back wall for draping open end first downwardly over the frame; said frame permitting said front wall of the bag facing an archer to sway upon impact of an arrow; and a target mounted on said front wall of the bag-like cover and causing said cover to sway away from an archer who strikes the target with an arrow thereby cushioning the shock and limiting penetration of said arrow into the backdrop.
 2. The invention defined by claim 1 wherein the backdrop includes a netting overlying the back wall of the bag-like cover to catch an arrow penetrating through the cover.
 3. The invention defined by claim 1 wherein said frame has a base portion for resting on said supporting surface and a pair of laterally spaced-apart upright portions with said bag-like cover swayable between said upright portions when said target or front wall of the cover is struck by an arrow.
 4. The invention defined by claim 2 wherein said netting has an upper edge portion connected to the bag-like cover adjacent the upper end of the frame.
 5. The invention defined by claim 1 wherein said target comprises a porous block fastened to the said front wall of the cover and having a dart board-like design thereon.
 6. The invention defined by claim 3 wherein said frame has an upper frame portion disposed at a reclining angle over which is draped said cover, with the width of the cover being greater than the laterally spaced apart upper frame portion.
 7. The invention defined by claim 5 wherein said front wall of the cover is provided with Velcro®-like fasteners removably connected to the said porous block.
 8. The invention as defined by claim 2 wherein said netting being connected at an upper end to said cover adjacent the upper end of the frame. 